Hey, everyone! I'm back with another one-shot today. So, I've been itching to try my hand at an actual horror story for quite a while now, and although some of my previous Splatoon stories have already featured what I'd call soft horror elements, I'm now ready to try out the real deal. In case you didn't already notice, this is an M-rated story, so of course, this may not be for everyone. It will feature graphic violence, body horror, and suicide, so if that's not your thing, now's your chance to turn away. For the rest of you, welcome, and enjoy your stay...

Disclaimer: I don't own Splatoon or any of its characters. Splatoon is owned by Nintendo.

Sanitized

Pain and fear fills my entire body as the reflection of my own familiar eyes stare back at me. I'm panting heavily as I try to catch my breath, but I'm unsuccessful, and my breath instead comes out as pained, drawn out gasps. I can feel my own hearts racing in my chest, and I can feel my brain pulsating inside my head, but I try not to let go of who I am, and what I want.

For as long as I can remember, my only true goal has been... survival. Fighting for a happy future I can't quite reach. More times than I can count, this one goal has been threatened... and this mysterious new circumstance has been no different.

But again, I try to hold on. I close my eyes, desperately holding on to whatever positive thoughts I can grab onto, whatever memories I can hold onto.

My fingers softy strummed the small, acoustic guitar in my fingers. A breathing tube was shoved down my nostrils, and the annoying, continuous beeping sound from the monitor next to me constantly echoed through my head, as I tried desperately to use the guitar and drown it out. My fingers were fairly weak and shaky, my eyelids felt somewhat heavy, and my breathing was slow. I have no future. I barely even have a past. Practically all I had was this bed, and the ugly, metal walls that surrounded me, with the dim, occasionally faltering light that lit the room from the ceiling above. Occasional small coughs escaped my mouth, sending pain spiking through my chest, but I kept my focus on the guitar as much as I could. Soon enough, she would be here, and I would get to see her again. That thought was enough to keep me going.

Eventually, the sliding door to the room did finally slide open, and my older sister came in. She had the typical, standard Octo Canyon military uniform, somewhat pale skin, and long red hair that partially covered her face. She looked as though her hearts almost skipped a beat as she immediately turned toward the hallway behind her. She turned back to me. "Doris. Put that down before someone hears you." She hissed as she moved to close the door.

I sat up and obediently hid the guitar under my blankets, managing a smile. "June..."

As June came up to me, she sat on the edge of my bed, delicately straightening my blankets for me. "Hey, sis."

I moved in for the usual hug. She held me with tenderness, but I, on the other hand, mustered my strength to give her a squeeze.

After a moment, she broke off again and reached into her pocket, pulling out a bottle of pills. "Here."

I took them, somewhat confused. "A-Are these-?"

"They're smuggled in from Inkopolis. Cost me a fair amount, too, so be careful with them. This may be all I can get you for now." She gave me a reassuring look, as if she could see the uncertainty in my eyes. "They'll help relieve the pain, Doris."

Hearing that, I got the bottle open, dropped a couple pills onto my palm, and moved to swallow them. "T-Thank you..."

June nodded, before bringing her gaze down. I did as well. I could tell she still hadn't found a better solution... I looked back at her. "You don't... you don't have to keep-"

"No." She looked at me sternly. "I'm close, Doris. I'm extremely close, to getting you that treatment. Real treatment." She reached to pet my hair. "You'll..." I could tell she was trying to remain strong, but it wasn't enough to hide the breaking in her voice. "You're going to be ok. I promise you."

Tears welled in my eyes as I stared back at her, unable to hold back the fear that was mounding in my chest... while also trying to hold on to this comfort that only my sister could give me, that I knew would only last a short time. Again, I brought my gaze down as I wiped a tear. "How... How long do you have until your next patrol?"

She smiled. "Long enough." She got back onto the bed and leaned back with me, putting her arms around me. I cuddled into her as she held me close. She pet my hair. "I'm doing everything I can to keep you alive, Doris."

I nodded somewhat. I wanted to hold onto this comfort forever. "I know." I leaned further into her as she held me.

...When my eyes open again, my own somewhat ink-shot eyes that stare back at me forcefully bring me back into this new predicament. Another weak gasp escapes my mouth as I reach up to push against this glass just above me.

I don't know where I am or remember how I even got here. All I can tell, from frantically looking around, is that I'm on a table in some kind of dark, unrecognizable room, locked underneath this tube-shaped glass lid that holds me down. I'm still struggling to remember... what exactly happened before I got here? All I can remember is... maybe... June was there?

"HEEEEELP!" I weakly bang against the glass. "JUNE!" My raspy voice shouts as tears fall down my face. I keep calling my sister's name, in hopes that she can hear me anywhere.

My desperate banging is clearly doing nothing, and I'm too weak to lift the lid up by other means, but I soon find that one thing I can accomplish through my struggling, is pushing off the glass and rocking my body to tilt the table beneath me.

It takes some struggling and a bit too much of my remaining strength, but finally, the table falls over, and the glass lid is cracked against the hard, metal floor. I groan in pain as I fall on my face into the cracked glass at the same time. As I slowly push myself back up, my white ink that is now bleeding from my nose falls onto the glass beneath me. But it's not enough to stop me; After a few more moments of mustering my strength, I keep banging and kicking against the glass, wearing away at the cracks, until finally, an opening breaks open for me.

I transform into my slithering Octopus form in order to slip in through this opening I created, hissing and grunting as I scrape along the glass. My bleeding ink is already pouring down from my fresh cuts as I transform back, pushing myself onto my knees and eventually my feet. I lean on a nearby table as I fight off the faint feeling such a feat gave me, my entire body already filled with exhaustion. Yet, I notice the terrified fight-or-flight feeling inside me has yet to leave, giving me much needed, even if fleeting strength... I still have to find my sister, I know I do.

After looking around this dark room and the broken tube I was just held in, I notice that other tubes just like it are placed here in this room as well, with surgical tools lined messily on a nearby table. I feel an uncomfortable lump in my throat... Where the hell am I?

My mind is racing on where exactly in the Canyon I could be right now as I push myself out into the hall and look around. Yet... the hallways I walk through don't even appear to be in the Canyon at all, nor the Valley. Wherever I am, the hallways appear to be completely abandoned of care, with collapsed lab equipment, dried ink stains on the walls and floor, occasional cracks in the ceiling that leak small droplets of water from above, and abandoned, rotting Octoling corpses. Although many of their features have now rotted away, these lifeless husks appear to have spent their last moments in terror back when they were alive, given the way they were just sprawled there, like they were trying to escape or fight for their survival.

Terrified, I lean back against the wall and cover my mouth, stifling back mortified tears. This isn't the time to be scared. I have to be strong... for June. June...

"JUNE!?" I call out yet again, coughing as an immediate consequence of raising my voice. Raising my shirt to my mouth to battle the intense rotting smell that surrounds me, I look ahead as a soft clang sound echoes down the halls from in front of me. I pause, considering turning and running in the opposite direction in fear of whatever caused that sound.

I still remember my days as a soldier back in Octo Canyon. It was me and June, against the world, even against the Octarians a lot of the time, it felt. My big sis had helped train me, make me stronger, make sure I know how to fight. She helped me do everything. But that was before I had gotten sick. I am of course much weaker now, unable to take on much of anything. But I still find use in those memories; I try to bring out that soldier's strength from deep within me, forcing myself to walk forward with quiet steps.

As I get closer to the source of the sound, I come into a dimly-lit room that acts as a sort of intersection between hallways. The said dim light in here is constantly blinking, creating a low flickering sound, accompanied by another stranger… clicking sound? From somewhere?

As I look around to locate it and then look up at it, I am kicked in the face by a pair of withering Octarian boots. I scream and back up from the swinging Octoling man I had just collided with, who hangs from a noose attached to a hook on the ceiling. I stare up at this corpse with wide eyes, taking the moment to recollect my breath. I squint my eyes as I finally notice this man's unusual features.

His skin is wholly green, down his whole body, and his dehydrated, withered hair is an ugly tone of blue. His terrifying, still-opened eyes come out as an even darker green, with blue pupils that practically shine in the darkness. Before I can turn away in shock, my hearts only continue to race as I realize, with the chattering of his beak... the man is still alive.

He looks down at me as he swings aimlessly in the noose, chattering incessantly with his teeth. His neck appears to be broken, with his head dislocated in an odd, disjointed way from his shoulders, but I'm otherwise unsure if I'm hallucinating.

As I listen to his chattering in horror, I slowly realize that none of the little clicks he's making are random... he's tapping in code with his teeth.

I listen carefully to his tap code and translate it in my head: S-H-E-S-A-L-W-A-Y-S-W-A-T-C-H-I-N-G

I step forward, confused. "...Who?"

He continues: T-H-E-D-E-V-I-L

I gulp, pondering what he could mean. I weakly reach toward him. "I-I'm gonna help you dow-"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Another feminine voice speaks to me.

I jump and turn toward the Octoling woman who is sitting next to the wall. Beneath her baseball cap, large headphones over her ears, large blue and red tentacle that covers half her face, and cracked, red shades over her eyes, she appears to have the same unusual green skin as the hung man.

Her joints audibly crack as she reaches up to move one of her headphones off of her ear. "He likes it up there." She then leans back against the wall, nodding her head in rhythm to whatever music she's listening to.

I step toward her. "...Where am I? H-How did I get here? What is this place?"

She doesn't respond, still nodding her head. As I get closer, I realize she's not actually listening to anything; Her headphones are broken.

"...Who are you?" I ask again.

Again, she doesn't respond, but the hung man behind me again starts to tap in code with his teeth: A-C-H-T.

"Acht?" I ask her. "Is that your name?"

The girl is staring ahead at nothing while nodding her head to a non-existent beat. "Used to be."

I lean forward. My raspy voice shakes as I fight back terrified tears. "Please… I-I need help. I don't know where I am, or what this place is, I just woke up here. Where am I?"

She still doesn't respond.

"Please!" I raise my voice, of course coughing immediately afterward in consequence. "I need to find my sister! I need directions!"

Finally, she looks at me.

I stare back at her. "My sister… did you see her?"

She nods slightly. "Yes. She came by here."

I sigh in relief. "Is she still here?"

"I don't know."

A tear finally escapes down my cheek as I look around. "I don't understand…"

"Hey." Acht speaks once again as she leans forward. "Do you want to find her?"

I nod desperately.

"Do you want to get out of here?" She continues, to which I again nod. "I know one way out of here… but it's extremely…" She pauses. "Dangerous."

"W-… What is it?"

"Go into the restricted section of the labs." She nods down one of the hallways. "Bring me back the key out of this place. Should be shaped like a vial, marked SA. If you can bring that back… I'll help you out of here."

I nod and immediately turn toward that hall.

"If you see something in there… don't make eye contact." She continues behind me, stopping me. I turn toward her, noticing that, as she turns toward me as well, her neck contorts in a strange, unnatural way. "Don't look at it. Don't make noise. It will hear you long before you hear it."

I stare back at her, more and more unnerved by her unusual movements and features. "What… are you?"

She slowly reverts to her previous sitting position, staring ahead at nothing. "…I used to be normal. I used to be a musician." She scoffs. "Like you."

"H-… How do you know I play music?"

"Whatever we are now, though…" She shakes her head, completely dodging my question. "We can't die. No matter how hard we try. I've… I've been in here so long… sitting in this one spot. Starving. So thirsty… I can barely even remember who I was before." Her eyes well with tears. Her neck again cracks as she looks at me. "So you go… and you get me that key… so we can both get out of here… alright?"

I stare at her one more moment before I finally turn to leave.

"One last thing." She again stops me. "Be quick. She's always watching."

After one more pause, I push aside all my fear and remember my desperation to get out of here, continuing down the hall she directed me to.

I walk down until I come across the walled-off section that is marked with Octarian warning labels, where there are significantly less lights on. After looking around for another little while, I come across a dried up Octoling corpse with an old flashlight stuck in his hand. I pry it from his fingers and test it by turning it on and off, shining the halls before me. It is a bit faulty and occasionally flickers just like the hallway lights, but it can still be used. With it now in my possession, I walk back up to the massive vault-like door that blocks off the restricted section, which is already slightly bent and opened ajar.

I briefly transform into my Octopus form to slip inside, pointing my light down each hall as I slowly make my way through. These halls are as silent as can be; Nothing but a low, occasional creaking sound breaks it, as if we're on a ship with intense water pressure outside. The unsteady structure of this lab quickly comes back to mind, and I start to wonder if part of the lab collapsing is a possibility. I gulp, but press on, keeping my eye out for the key… and anything else that may be in here.

There are no signs of anything organic, living or dead… up until I start to come across the pools of green ink, that were simply… left here. I kneel down and collect some of it with my finger, giving it a quick sniff, only to immediately almost hurl at the absolute putrid smell it's giving off. It's unlike anything I've ever smelled before, and it strikes me as if something has somehow been rotting for a very long time. Yet, the ink appears to be new. I fight the urge to vomit as I wipe my finger and point my light down more hallways, wondering what could have left this here.

I continue onward, occasionally coming across more of these puddles that I ignore and pass by. I search around for whatever 'key' I'm looking for when a low moaning sound suddenly fills the halls. It sounds unlike any voice I've heard before… and it's coming from somewhere behind me. Gasping somewhat, I spin around and point my light.

Whatever it is, I don't get a good look at it. But within my blinking flashlight, as I stare onward, there is… something, that is turning the corner. An icky, slimy noise fills the hall as it does, and its tortured moans send a chill straight down my spine in grand fashion. Something that only vaguely resembles an eye briefly comes into the light before I point the light downward.

I stand here in the darkness, hoping and praying it didn't see me, before a much louder, haunting moan erupts through the hall. A violent slithering sound continues, coming in my direction. I turn and run as fast as my weak legs can go, and I turn another corner, walk deeper into the hall, and back myself into a dead end.

As the sounds grow louder regardless, I turn my light off, transform back into my Octopus form, and curl up as deep into the corner as I can go, waiting here in the darkness as the noises only draw closer. And closer. And closer…

The moan turns into a hideous, trembling growl as a wet slithering sound fills the surrounding halls. It truly sounds unlike any living creature on this earth… Only another moment passes before it's dangerously close; It's searching for me. I can hear its joints crack, its very form shifting in a wet, graphic manner, a strange clicking sound, and then finally, its very real, steady breathing, which sounds calm yet shaky. Its breathing brings the presence of another Octoling here in the room with me… but I know it's not such a thing.

As if its zombified stench doesn't already make me want to vomit, its sudden hot breath blows into my face, follow by another skin-turning groan. Trembling, I cover my mouth with my tentacles, holding every one of my limbs perfectly still as I hold my breath. I feel myself growing faint, both from the wooziness and the smell, my current lack of oxygen, and my body simply being unable to handle such anxiety, but I fight to stay awake.

I hear more wet shifting sounds… and then finally, the noises again draw quieter. I hold my breath another moment before I allow myself another breath, trying to keep my desperate gasp as quiet as I can. I lean against the wall as I fight off the dizzy feeling, and try to ignore as my hearts absolutely explode in my chest, now struggling to breathe. Oh no… for such a sick body, I've already put it through too much. My limbs are now shaky- too shaky. I fear that if I don't get out of here soon, I may just collapse and then pass away here in the restricted section.

I take a few moments to catch my breath before I turn my light back on and continue onward. This time, I make a point to turn my light off and hide if I think I even hear the slightest noise coming from that thing… which seems to bring me good fortune, as I'm now actually able to search for the key, even if slowly.

Several minutes pass. I very stealthily check through different rooms and crates, largely coming up with nothing, until finally, I find it. Hidden in the midst of some collapsed lab tables and a bunch of crates is the silver vial marked SA, just as Acht had described it. I'm forced to carefully move some things out of the way before I can grab it. I sigh in relief, holding it close as I point my flashlight down the hall.

I'm about to head back, prepared to be just as stealthy as before, when a stack of crates that stand within some of the wreckage I just moved finally tips over and collapses, sending its crashing noise throughout the halls like an alarm. I can't help but gasp as my soul practically leaves my body, and in response, a disturbed scream echoes around me.

This thing, whatever it is, is only sounding more and more like an Octoling at this point, an extremely furious one at that. It sounds like a man who has lost his tongue and can now only communicate his pain through pure, angry moans… and it's rapidly getting louder as it rushes in my direction.

I can barely even think, almost tripping onto my face as I scramble to run forward and find a hiding place. The run ultimately comes out more as a stumble, and I finally do face-plant onto the cold floor. My flashlight rolls away as I'm left crawling for it, desperately trying to secure my fingers around it once again.

I already can't really breathe properly as the creature's large eye again becomes visible down the hall that my flashlight is pointed at. Again, I don't get a good look at it, but this time I do briefly see this swirling mass of green ooze and green-and-blue tentacles. It's like nothing else on this Earth, it's like a random amalgamation of different body parts rather than an actual body that came to be from nature and evolution. But most noticeably, its large green eye is focused directly on me, and closing in quickly.

I gasp for air as I finally push myself back up to my feet, and using all my strength, I run down another hallway. My running is weak and I can barely breathe, but nothing is more important to me than survival right now. I can now hear its constant wet shifting and drowned screams shortly behind me as I run down, occasionally pushing myself off walls to make myself go faster, and occasionally stumbling, nearly falling over again.

It's a blind rush through this invisible maze, with nothing but my flashlight and what I can barely see ahead of me to guide me, as I look for the doorway through which I came. I don't dare look behind me, as the terrifying noises behind me that signify its presence don't go away. I can't breathe, I can't think, I feel like I'm going to pass out, but I press on, fighting through each second.

Finally, I see the large doorway that I came through, and hot-foot it there. I can still hear the screams as the monster turns the same corner I did and presses on, as determined as ever, until finally, I transform into my Octopus form and slip in through the door crack.

Transforming back, I desperately crawl backward as this creature slams itself against the door after me. I hear one last pained groan as some green tentacles, absolutely dripping with that putrid green ink, reach out after me.

I back all the way against the wall in absolute horror as a small mound of green ink oozes out through this crack in the wall… before the tentacles give up, retreating back behind the door. I hear one last moan, and then… silence.

I lean back and look up at the ceiling, letting out pained gasps and wheezes for more air. I can barely breathe, as I fight here to collect and contain whatever air I can possibly hold in my lungs. My head is pulsating in time to my exploding heartbeat as I sink downward, shakily grabbing my own chest.

As the minutes pass, any attempt I make at getting back up completely fail, as I again collapse, with nothing but my arm barely holding me up from hitting my head on the floor. This is it… I can feel it… I'm going to die here… unable to breathe, in an unknown hallway in this absolute damned lab…

I look ahead down the hall, drooling. I don't have the strength for this, to find June. I don't think I can take another step. Tears escape my eyes as I close my eyelids, fighting to remember… June… June, just please come back to me.

June… I… I remember…

Here I was, back in the hospital bed, playing on my hidden guitar like usual, trying to drown out the sounds of the monitor's incessant beeping… when an alarm sounded out in the hall. Concerned, I again hid my guitar under my sheet, sitting up and looking over curiously.

I heard what sounded like screaming and maybe some gunfire out in the hall. Then, running footsteps that rapidly closed in down the hallway. I let out a gasp as the door was suddenly unlocked, and I sunk back a bit in fear.

As the door opened, June came in, looking around the hallway outside before she turned to me. "Doris. Come on."

"June…" I sat up straight once again. "W-What's going on?" I watched on as she came over and started speedily unplugging me from the monitors and from my IV. She even moved to pull the breathing tubes out of my nose. "J-June?"

"I'm getting you out of here. C'mon, get up." She grabbed me, helping me up to my feet. I clung onto her arm as she held me. "Stay close to me, alright?"

I was of course extremely confused and concerned, but my trust in my sister was absolute, and I let her guide me as she grabbed her gun and rushed out into the hall of this Octo Canyon infirmary dome. I clung onto her the whole time as we rushed out together, and I could now see the puddles of the soldiers she had splatted here. I trusted my sister… but also desperately wanted answers. "J-June!?"

"C'mon, this way!" She just pulled me along.

But again, all too quickly, exhaustion caught up to me. I found myself panting for air, unable to properly breathe, as I pushed my body a little too hard. Becoming woozy, I started to fall over.

"Doris? Hey." June let go of me and allowed me to sink against the wall, where I faced her. She gripped both of my cheeks. "I'm getting you out of here. I'm going to get you actual treatment, alright? It's going to save your life." She squeezed my face. "But I need you to stay strong for me, alright? Stay strong for me."

I open my eyes again, back in my current predicament. I have a little better control of my breathing now, here in the dark hallways of this cold lab, as I look down at my chest. I'm still grasping the vial, holding it close to my chest. The key out of here… yes… soon, this will be over…

It takes another few minutes, but as I recollect myself, I'm able to slowly get up once again, using this last memory of June to push myself forward. I slowly walk along the wall, leaning against it all the while as I head back in Acht's direction, taking slow, deep breaths.

Finally, I arrive back at where Acht and the hung man sit. Acht looks over as I slowly walk up to her, holding the vial so she can see.

All of her joints once again crack as she gets onto her knees, and then shakily moves to take her shades off, revealing her yellow eye. "You… you got it?"

My voice is weak and raspy, but I stand up as straight and as tough as I can as I face her. "I… held up my end of the deal…" I pant as I hold it forward. "You hold up yours…"

The hung man again begins tapping in code with his teeth. I barely listen as Acht takes it in her hands, staring at it with a longing look as she delicately rubs it.

"What… does it unlock?" I ask.

Acht doesn't respond. She's still staring at it and rubbing it with that unusual look. At that moment, I listen as the hung man finishes his next message: D-O-N-T.

Acht smiles. "I've waited for this all these years… my key out of here."

"A-Acht?" I ask, concerned. "What is that?"

"So long being unable to die. Unable to leave, unable to do anything. And she had the nerve to hold me here?" She presses a button, unveiling a needle. She laughs softly. "But it was here all along."

"Acht? What are you doing?"

Without anymore hesitation, she jams the needle into her own neck. That gleeful smile remains on her face the entire time as she injects whatever is inside this needle into herself, emptying the vial. She stares at me the entire time.

I stare right back, horrified.

"Thank you." She whispers one last time before… she simply falls backward. She is now completely limp, and her lifeless eye stares up at the ceiling. Her face muscles have relaxed as well, but I can still see that vague smile through her limp mouth.

I back up and whimper in shock, tearing up. The room is completely silent, as I stare at her body, then look around. What the hell do I do now? How am I supposed to get out of here? My tears only fall faster as pure fear fills me. Am I trapped here just like she was? Left here to slowly die from my disease, never seeing my sister again? Without any sort of answer of how I got here? Perhaps these questions themselves don't have answers…

I look up as the hung man again begins chattering with his teeth. Then, I look over as Acht's body twitches a bit.

The hung man spells out: R-U-N.

Acht's body returns to life with more violent twitches. Her back arches as she writhes there, as if suffering a severe seizure. A fountain of saliva and then an obscene amount of green ink pours out of her mouth, as an in-Octoling croak escapes her mouth. Her body begins to violently twitch into new positions, as her head tilts to one side, and then the other. Her body produces violent cracking sounds with each quick movement she makes, accompanied by groaning and hissing sounds that now come from her mouth. It's reaching a point where her limbs and neck are now violently spasming their way into unnatural positions, folding her body like a pretzel.

But then, slowly, her body begins to correct itself. Seemingly gaining more control of her body, Acht turns and gets on all fours, shaking her head like a wild animal while some of her limbs remain bent in unnatural positions. Her body is still making violent transformation noises, and her angry, pained growls fill the room. Then… her neck again twists itself as she turns to look at me.

I don't nearly have the strength to run this time, but I try to do so anyway as she frantically crawls after me, screeching. I again fall onto my face as she grabs my legs, and I turn to hold her off as she crawls on top of me, scratching at me as her beak gnashes at my face. I barely hold her off with my arm as her teeth thrash not even an centimeter from my face. I find myself whimpering and crying in fear the whole time, unable to hold her off, up until I notice the syringe still jammed into her neck.

I reach to pull it out and then stab her face with it, knocking her off. The wind is completely knocked out of me once again, but with the determination for survival still in me, I again try to get up and flee. I barely notice as her body again begins to twitch and convert itself into another unnatural position, hard enough this time that she's tearing apart some of her skin and revealing her insides.

I am far too slow, and can't do much of anything as she again rushes to tackle me. She drags me backward, then again moves to crawl on top of me. As I again move to hold her off, she roars into my face. There are absolutely no signs of the Acht I just talked to in there at this point- only a monster.

I try to hold her off to my best ability, but of course I can't do much. Silently praying to whoever might be listening for forgiveness, I again grab the syringe that's still poking out of her head, and again move to stab her with it.

It takes absolutely all of my strength, but I'm able to dig the syringe into her forehead, where I keep pulling it out, and stabbing her again in the same place with deep, angry screams. Each swing of my hand takes more air out of me, forcing me to take a moment to re-adjust, but as long as she still trashes against me, I push through. I form a cycle of gasping for air, slowly pulling the syringe back out, and again plunging it back into her head like it's a knife.

Slowly but surely, I'm able to stab deep enough into her brain that she starts to go limp. Ink is absolutely gushing out of her head and her mouth onto my own face. I cough as some of it gets into my mouth.

I watch as her body gives up a couple more twitches, and then notice that her eye is still trained on me. An almost apologetic look shines through… I'm unsure if I'm just seeing things or imagining it, but… it feels real.

Again, I find myself gasping for air as I shakily drop the syringe. I manage to push her off of me, but can barely move beyond that. I can no longer breathe. The world around me is spinning. As I try getting back up, I end up collapsing onto my face next to her, my eyes locked on Acht's remains as my world begins to fade away.

My eyes weakly blink as I unsuccessfully try to hold on to whatever consciousness I still can.

June… All I ever wanted here was to see you again…

I remain barely focused as a pair of boots, its footsteps echoing through the world, begins to approach me from down the hall.

I try to reach my hand out.

June…?

The next thing I knew, soft light was pouring on me. I could see the trees, and the sunlight that shimmered in-between the leaves. The beautiful sounds of birds chirping… I looked around… Was this real?

June's hand grasped my own as she pulled me along through the forest. We were running as fast as I could possibly go.

"Stay with me, Doris!" She commanded. "I'll get you out of this!"

But I couldn't focus. The world was spinning around me, I couldn't breathe. I fought for whatever breath I could grab, but we weren't going fast enough.

Octotroopers and Octoling soldiers, with their typical Octo Canyon gear, managed to enclose us, holding us at gunpoint as they revealed themselves from the trees and managed to form a circle around us.

June stopped as she looked around, holding me close. She was audibly fighting back tears. "Let us go!"

"We have them. Taking them back." One of the soldiers said into her earpiece.

June started crying. "Please! My sister is sick! I'm just trying to help her!"

"Put your hands up, now!" Another soldier commanded.

"Please! She doesn't have much longer anyway, just please!"

I looked around in confusion as some soldiers looked to the side, and then turned to shoot at someone else.

"Someone else is here!" A soldier announced.

June held me close as she again tried to pull me out of the area. Gunfire was ringing through the trees, and I could even hear a soldier gagging, as if being stabbed in the throat. But, in the chaos, we were unable to escape, and I found myself screaming as another Octo Canyon soldier grabbed me, separating me from June. "J-June!" I reached my hand out.

"Doris!" She did as well.

I stared onward as the soldier behind me held me back, panting for air all the while.

June stared right back. "It's going to be ok!"

I don't know what the hell I was thinking… maybe I wasn't thinking much of anything. As anger filled me, I reached to bite the hand of the soldier who was holding me, trying to break free. I felt her kick my leg, and I collapsed forward onto all fours. I struggled to hold my head up. "Juuune!"

"Doris!" I heard June screaming as some wrestling ensued. "You FUCKE-"

A high-pressure gunshot again rang through the air.

"Oh, shit." I heard a soldier muttering in shock. "Oh, shit."

"...J-June…?" I was met with no resistance as I tried crawling in that direction.

I was met with my sister, limp in the grass. I could only really tell it was my sister from her familiar skin color, body shape, and armor. Her face was no longer there; Barely her eye, displaced from its socket, was left by the gaping hole in her head.

"J-… J-…" I could barely believe my eyes. I couldn't believe anything. "J-… JUNE! JUNE!"

Tears rapidly fall down my face as my eyes finally open again, met with the reflection of my own familiar eyes once again. I look around in confusion.

I'm once again underneath one of these glass tubes on a table in seemingly the same dark room I previously woke up in. However long I was out after my fight with Acht, it was apparently long enough for my body to recover at least somewhat, as I can at least breathe again. I'm still extremely weak, but alive.

Whimpering in fear, I again feel around the glass. It was just a nightmare… it was just a nightmare… I'm going to find June, I'm going to find June…

I try the same tactic of escape I tried last time, but I'm a bit too weak this time. I can barely even move. All I can really do is tilt my head and look around, left to myself and my horrified thoughts.

Finally, after a few moments, I hear the door open. I look over at the wall as some light, albeit flickering, pours onto the wall in the corner of the room, revealing the shadow of another Octoling woman. My eyes widen in fear as I see this shadow briefly holding up a knife.

I gasp and again try banging against the glass to no avail. "No… No…" I can barely speak. "L-… Let me out of h-"

"Shh, shh, shhhhh." The woman scrapes her knife along the glass as she walks toward me, scratching it. I look up to get a better look at her. She has the same green coloring as the previous two Octolings I had met, but sports a much more sadistic grin, and a lustful look behind her terrifying green eyes. Her arms are hidden behind thick gloves as she places her hand on the glass just above my face. She rubs it. "It's just you and me here." She briefly licks her own lips. "I've been watching you."

"...Who… are you?" My weak voice barely sounds.

I watch in confusion as she opens her mouth and reaches her knife inside, cutting her tongue and letting her ink spill out. It seems from her scars that she cuts herself there like that quite often. She smacks her lips and again leans against the tube. "Sorry about all that, what Acht did. They've been trying to get out of her a while. I told them no. Wasn't quite a part of the plan, so, that's… all… my fault. Sorry, hun." She says with clear insincerity.

"...Plan?"

"Call it a test. To see how far I can push you until you break." She leans her head against the glass. "You did better than I expected. The fighting you have in you… in such a weak, dying body? God, you turned me the fuck on. I like that in a woman." She writhes her tongue around inside her mouth.

My confusion only grows. "…W-… What?"

"Here's the thing." She continues. "This operation I've been running, it… it needs more people like you. Your sister called to us for treatment, but, she didn't know what she was walking into. And things went a bit south for you, as I saw…" She grins widely. "But don't worry. We got you out. And took care of her body. Respectfully, of course. That thing in the restricted section, was… grateful, to claim her."

My eyes widen more and more. I now realize that… wasn't a dream… Tears rapidly build in my eyes, and I shut them, unable to stop the tears from falling. I cry here softly.

I can't believe I let this happen… if I had… Fuck! This was all my fault! She died out of desperation to treat me! She threw herself away! And if I had… not tried to resist… Fuck! She died all because of me! I KILLED HER! WHY THE FUCK DID I LET SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPEN!?

I'm unable to hold back my relentless crying, suffering my breakdown right here on the table. I cover my face with my hands.

"Hey…" The woman again rubs the glass. Her voice comes across as somewhat sarcastic. "It's ok. It happens. This is the part… where you channel that grief. Do you feel me? Do you know what she died for?"

I slowly look back at her.

She leans in, smirking. "She died to keep you alive. So… channel that grief." She suddenly reaches to lift up the glass tube; Her arm makes what sounds almost like a mechanical whirring as she does. Then, she reaches to caress my cheek through her glove. "Use that pain. Because it's all we really have." Her devilish grin only grows wider.

"...But… I… I killed them…" I keep crying. "I… I don't deserve-"

"You think you killed Acht? Babe, you can't kill what's already dead. I'll take care of Acht if that's what you're concerned about. Give them a new purpose…" She licks her lips. "And if they want their freedom from this lab? Perhaps I'll finally give them that. You did them a favor."

I just keep staring at her as she keeps rubbing me.

"So if you also want to be free of this poor, sick body of yours, take my treatment. Become one of us. Join with me and my friends." She sticks her tongue out toward me, only barely not touching me with it. "Bathe yourself in our eternal green, and you will see what our pain can unlock." She whispers.

I blink at her. "…I…" I shake my head. "I don't know…"

She responds with an overly-dramatic frown. "Do you want your sister to die for nothing? After how hard she fought for you?"

I pause. I… I really don't, I realize. I look back at her, a silent terror within me. I gulp, sniffing. "…I'll get to live?"

"However long you want."

"...Will it hurt?"

"Yes." She then rubs my chest. "Embrace it."

I suck in a breath. I'm terrified, but… maybe she's right. Above my terror, I still feel that will to live. To not let June die for nothing. I hesitate, and then… I subtly nod at her.

She smirks. "Welcome to the party." She raises her hand.

I jump as I suddenly feel a needle prick my neck, and my eyes awkwardly drift shut.

When my eyes open again, I'm still here on the table within this glass tube. I look down at myself, feeling my own chest. I feel… good. So, so much better, in fact. My limbs no longer feel like noodles, my lungs no longer feel like they're constantly struggling for air… but as I look up at my reflection, at my own familiar eyes that I can typically rely on… I notice that my eyes are no longer my own. My new green eyes stare back at me. I reach up to feel the glass, noticing my new fully green skin that covers my arms. I stare at my hands in terror. Did I make the right choice? It's too late to question.

I again press my hands against the glass, starting to feel more and more like something isn't right, like I'm not really myself anymore.

I have no heartbeat. I have no soul. I'm something new now.

I'm one with them now.